More staff, faster response in huge Royal Flying Doctor Service deal

Patients are the winners in a huge new contract for the Royal Flying Doctor Service which aims to halve response times to emergencies.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service SA/NT will get more extra staff, increase operations and respond to emergencies faster under a half-a-billion dollar deal with the state government.

The $509m, 10-year contract announced on Wednesday will significantly boost capacity at Adelaide Airport, increasing RFDS operations to four aircraft during the day and three overnight.

For the first time, the fleet of 21 aircraft will have a dedicated emergency response aircraft. The fleet also will feature South Australia Government branding.

The RFDS frontline team will increase by 23.4 full time equivalent staff including nurses, pilots, engineers, clinical support and operations communications staff.

RFDS will respond faster to emergencies under the new deal.

Two dedicated nurses will be stationed 24/7 at the Adelaide Patient Transfer Facility, ensuring continuous patient care.

The investment means patients will be retrieved faster, with new key performance indicators (KPIs) more than halving the target response time for takeoff for Priority 1 and 2 regional fixed wing retrievals and inter hospital transfers contracted to the RFDS through SA Ambulance Service (SAAS).

The new KPI requires RFDS aircraft to get in the air within 20 minutes of being tasked with an emergency job, more than halving the previous 45 minute target.

Each flight will be staffed with RFDS nurses for inter-hospital urgent transfers or SAAS MedSTAR critical care teams of doctors, nurses and/or paramedics for retrieval cases.

The rapid response capability will significantly increasing access to critical care.

SAAS MedSTAR with RFDS conduct about 7400 interhospital transfers and retrievals each year.

The co-branded Pilatus aircraft will take to the skies this week with more co-branded assets due to be in operation by December.

Health Minister Chris Picton said: “This huge new investment means patients in emergencies in our regions will be able to be retrieved for lifesaving care faster than ever before.

“The Malinauskas Labor Government is committed to improving ambulance response times, whether on the road or in the skies, and these enhancements are a direct result of our investments.”

SAAS chief executive Rob Elliott said the service was proud to continue its long-term partnership with the RFDS.

“Our SAAS MedSTAR retrieval clinicians, working closely with the RFDS, complete around five fixed wing missions, and co-ordinate 15-20 RFDS inter-hospital transfers each day,” he said.

“Together, they do an incredible job delivering vital care to critically ill, injured and transport ready South Australians.”

RFDS SA/NT chair Peter de Cure AM said the latest agreements took the partnership with the state government to almost 40 years.

“The financial support and operational funding provided by the government provides long-term security and a commitment to an enhanced level of serviceability which will benefit regional patients,” he said.